Language Environment and Successful Foreign Language Learners Learning

Language Environment and Successful Foreign Language Learners’ Learning Strategies —A Case Study of Chinese Learners in Thailand Yuwachat Petchpoung Tianyu Wang* Chinese Language and Culture College Yunnan Normal University Kunming, China tooklike_103@hotmail. com Chinese Language and Culture College Yunnan Normal University Kunming, China *Corresponding author: wangtianyu 18@126. com Abstract The difference between the successful foreign language learners (GLL) and unsuccessful foreign language learners’ (PLL) learning strategy has always been the focus of research in the field of second language acquisition and foreign language education. The study uses the language learning strategy questionnaire written by Rebecca Oxford (1990) to conduct a questionnaire survey on various learning strategies of 161 subjects. Through the investigation and analysis of the current status of the use of learning strategies, the overall characteristics of successful learning strategies used by Chinese learners in Thailand are summarized, and the strategies most used in each learning strategy are found. Text Judging from the current research, many linguists and psychologists' research directions for successful Chinese learners mostly focus on learning strategy and the learning characteristics of successful learners. Most of the methods used are mainly quantitative research, and there also a small number of qualitative researches [1 -2]. Naiman (1978) and other scholars analyzed and studied the learning strategy of 34 adult successful foreign language learners through questionnaires, interviews, and case analysis methods, and concluded five relevant characteristics: They often participate in activities around them, understand the language from a system perspective, use language as a social tool, can properly handle the personal factors encountered in the language learning process, and examine the learning performance of second language. Huang and Van Naerssen (1987) surveyed 20 Chinese learners of different levels through questionnaires and interviews, and found that students with strong oral communication skills used functional exercises strategies more frequently than students with poor ability [3 -4]. Ellis (1994) proposed two methods for studying GLL: one is based on interviews in the form of questionnaires, and the other is a comparative study between successful and unsuccessful [5]. Wu Yongyi (2001) pointed out that the previous studies were basically “descriptive studies”. At the same time, they introduced “interventional research” to analyze the situation of Chinese as a second language learning strategy, and expressed their views on the classification strategy and system of learning strategy, general learning strategy and special learning strategy, quantitative research and statistical analysis. In addition, they initially proposed the steps of studying learning strategy using Chinese as a second language [6 -7]. In summary, most of the studies on successful Chinese learners are mainly from English-speaking countries. Only very few documents have started to study Cambodian, Japanese and Thai native speakers. The research methods are also mostly questionnaire surveys, with a small sample size, making it difficult to form large-scale research conclusions [8 -9]. Based on the previous research results, researchers have different selection criteria for successful foreign language learners, but most of them choose those who pass the standardized test in the field of foreign language education in various languages as the research object according to the high and low grouping method. In view of this, this study refers to the learners who have passed Chinese level 5 and above in the International Standards of Chinese Proficiency as the selection criteria. Learners who pass this standard are at an advanced level in the HSK exam, which basically corresponds to the ability requirements of successful learners. This article adopts the purpose of cluster sampling method, in order to master the students who have sufficient research content information in this article as the sample of the questionnaire. Based on my own learning environment, the author selected three universities from China, Kunming University of Technology, Yunnan Normal University and Yunnan University, where students from Thailand are concentrated to investigate; Based on the current situation in which students of all levels and types of students in Thailand generally learn Chinese, Thailand has selected two ordinary universities, Dhurakij Pundit University and Royal Thai University, to conduct surveys. Surveys of Chinese learners in different target language environments increase the overall number and diversity of questionnaires, and further improve the representativeness of the sample to the population. The students were from 5 universities in China and Thailand. Among them, 101 people studied in China, including 34 from Kunming University of Science and Technology, 43 from Yunnan Normal University and Yunnan University; 60 people studied in Thailand, including 35 from Dhurakij Pundit University and 25 from Thailand Royal University. By analyzing the use of learning strategies by Thai students in different language environments in China and Thailand, we can see that the frequency of using learning strategies in China is higher than that of Thailand, which shows the important influence of the target language environment on the language learning strategy. Although the average value of the learning strategy usage frequency in both environments is “often done”, which is a high-frequency behavior, the learning strategy usage frequency of learners in the target language environment is higher than that in the non-target language environment. The frequency of learning strategy in China is between 3. 77723. 9046, with a total average of 3. 8373, and the frequency of learning strategy in Thailand is between 3. 4667 -3. 5625, with a total average of 3. 5111. In addition, the average frequency of learners using these six learning strategies in the target language environment is all greater than that in the non-target language environment. As shown in Table IV, there are significant differences in the ordering of the frequency of the 6 learning strategies in different language environments. In China, the most frequently used learning strategy is metacognitive strategy, followed by emotional strategy and memory strategy; In Thailand, the most frequently used learning strategy is compensation strategy, followed by memory strategy and emotional strategy. The similarity between learners using learning strategies in the two language environments is that the use of cognitive strategies is not very high. 1) The frequency of using the learning strategy of successful Chinese learners studying in China is 3. 8373, which is a high frequency; the learning strategy with the lowest frequency is the “compensation strategy”, which is 3. 7772, which is a high frequency. This shows that successful Chinese learners in Thailand in the target language environment use learning strategies more frequently in the process of Chinese learning, and they will use learning strategies more frequently. 2) The learning frequency of successful Chinese learners studying in Thailand is 3. 5111, which is a high frequency; the learning strategy with the lowest frequency is “cognitive strategies”, which is 3. 4667, which is a medium frequency. This shows that successful Chinese learners in Thailand in a non-target language environment generally use the learning strategy in the Chinese learning process, and occasionally use the learning strategy. 3) Through comparison, it is found that successful learners in the target language environment use learning strategy more frequently than successful learners in the non-target language environment. The average score of the frequency of use of the learning strategy in both environments belongs to “do this often” and is a high-frequency behavior. The frequency of learning strategies for learners in China is between 3. 7772 -3. 9046, with a total average of 3. 8373; the frequency of learning strategies for learners in Thailand is between 3. 4667 -3. 5625, with a total average of 3. 5111.